Gornal News & Goings On

NEWS

National Lottery Community Fund in Dudley North Our MP Ross Cranston informs us that he has received information showing that the National Lottery Community Fund has allocated more than £4 million to projects in our area since 1995. The grants range from £500 for the 1st Coseley Scout Group to a total of over £½ million to the Beacon Centre for the Blind. While the lion's share may appear to have passed Gornal by, Ross' parliamentary aide Hazel Phillips kindly responded promptly to our request for examples of donations to local initiatives, including: Gornal Wood West End Flying Club £5000, Noise - Creative Family Learning £4317, Upper Gornal Racing Pigeon Club £4400, Upper Gornal Recreation Association 4435. Other organisations receiving grants range from Wren’s Nest Primary School, Priory Tenants and Residents Association Youth Project, Kates Hill Girls Group, Age Concern Sedgley and District, Dudley Sea Cadets and the Asian Women’s Centre. In particular, Mr. Cranston highlights £295,129 issued to Dudley Advice Centre under the fair share scheme, which provides funding for disadvantaged communities in parts of the country that have not received their "fair share" of lottery funding. "The groups benefiting from the lottery funding are diverse" explained the MP "representing people from many different parts of the Dudley community. It is right that lottery funding should be accessible to all communities, and that any imbalance should be redressed." The Dudley Advice Centre Project Director, Roger Nettleford, remarked: "We strive towards community cohesion and empowerment, and aim to help people make informed decisions about the way they live their lives. We would be in no position to deliver our current service had it not been for the Community Fund."’ The message to any Gornal groups wondering why we haven't had our 'fair share' must be that if you're not in the race, you can't expect to win - so why not apply? Details were published in a Yampy article based on a previous pres release from Ross Cranston's office (click here).

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